April 13 in LGBTQ History

1970: In the first of a series of public “zaps” by New York City gay activists, an appearance by Mayor John Lindsay at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is interrupted by angry protesters shouting “Gay Power!”, demanding his support for an end to job and housing discrimination against LGBT people. His appearance on a local television program is similarly disrupted six days later. The “zaps” culminate in a meeting between gay activists and the mayor’s office to discuss the gay community’s political grievances.

1987: A seven-page, much-publicized cover story on teen sex and AIDS in this week’s People magazine never once mentions the subject of homosexuality or addresses the critical issues of gay teenagers and the disease.

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